Pupping] 2 54 [Pupping 



force may be used in promoting delivery without 

 at all injuring the bitch, but it is best not to pull 

 on the puppy except during the labour pains, if 

 there are any. 



It is the custom of some veterinary surgeons to 

 give the bitch, during labour, a hot bath if the 

 parts are not considered sufficiently relaxed, or 

 if the pains are dull ; at the proper time the 

 tissues always become sufficiently dilated, pro- 

 viding the parts are in a normal state — that is, 

 bar a stricture in the vagina, or something of 

 the kind — and if there is any abnormal condition, 

 a warm or hot bath, in my opinion, does more 

 harm than good by often checking the pains. 



Sometimes when the ergot fails to induce or 

 stimulate the throes, I have applied with advan- 

 tage to the abdomen an ice-bag ; but what I find 

 the best of all, when one or two subcutaneous 

 injections of ergotine have not worked satis- 

 factorily, is to put the bitch in some vehicle and 

 give her a drive, and if nothing else will induce 

 the labour pains this shaking up will do so in 

 most cases. 



The worst of all, are those cases when the 

 bitch is due to pup, the parts are relaxed, and 

 there are no labour pains to expel the fceta. 

 Examined per vaginum, no puppy can be felt, 

 and no amount of excitement of the parts by 

 passing a cold instrument into the passage, or 

 injections of ergot, causes contraction of the 

 womb. If the patient seems all right, it is best 

 to wait some hours, during which time everything 

 should be done to try and excite contraction of 



